Buchholz looked sharp early, and his kickboxing prowess was on full display early in the evening. Buchholz proved quick, aggressive and accurate en route to winning the opening frame. But Danzig battled back in the second round, largely through superior grappling, and evened the bout heading into the final five minutes.

Danzig was on his back early, but a break in action led to a restart, and the eight-year veteran exploded with powerful strikes as he took the control of the fight. When the action hit the floor, Danzig found a dominant position and searched for opportunities to end the fight. They didn’t come, but the effort netted Danzig the much-needed win, which he was awarded via unanimous decision.

“I’m pretty tired,” Danzig told event emcee Joe Rogan after the bout. “He’s a great fighter. I do my best not to ever underestimate anybody, but I don’t think I gave him enough credit.”

Danzig (19-7-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) tastes victory for the first time since an April 2008 win over Mark Bocek, while Buchholz (8-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC) has now dropped three-straight UFC contests and is in obvious danger of a release from the organization.

Explosive lightweight Melvin Guillard has earned a reputation as a powerful striker, but against Brazilian submission ace Ronys Torres, “The Young Assassin” showed improved takedown defense and awareness on the ground.

Torres opened the bout impressive takedowns and wrestled Guillard to the floor repeatedly, but he was unable to capitalize on the positions. Guillard returned to his feet each times, and though he had given away the opening frame, he had shown resiliency in remaining out out of trouble.

Guillard remained on his feet in the second round, even as Torres elevated him high in the air on two separate occasions. Torres proved a capable striker during the frame and held his own in a series of striking exchanges. Nevertheless, the action favored Guillard, and the score appeared even heading into the third.

The action remained tight in the final frame. Guillard sprawled well, though he he did find himself on the floor on two occasions. Torres did little to advance the positions, and Guillard offered a yawning gesture in protest. However, Torres was making a case for the fight as he controlled the pace and positioning of the fight.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Guillard scrambled to top position and unleashed a barrage of punches to his downed foe. With little to differentiate the opponents until the final flurry, the effort may ahve proven the deciding factor in the fight. Guillard walked away with a unanimous-decision way, taking the fight 29-28 on all three cards.

In his first fight under the tutelage of famed trainer Greg Jackson, Guillard (23-8-2 MMA, 6-4 UFC) offered a new wrinkle in his game. Meanwhile, Torres (14-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) certainly earned another look in the promotion with a game effort.

Emerson outlasts Nover; Davis impressive in debut

With both Robert Emerson and Phillipe Nover entering the evening’s final un-aired contest with two-fight losing streaks, the fight was unquestionably a must-win for each. But as the action unfolded, one fighter took immediate control.

An early slip by Nover left Emerson in top position, and he re-established himself in the spot multiple times throughout the fight. Nover was largely unable to remain on his feet, and Emerson claimed the opening two rounds.

Nover responded well in the third frame, but he wasn’t able to earn the finish he desperately needed. A guillotine choke threatened Emerson briefly, and a series of knees also scored for Nover. But Emerson survived the final-frame scare and claimed the unanimous-decision win.

Emerson (9-8 MMA, 3-2 UFC) wins for the first time since an August 2008 stoppage of Manny Gamburyan, while Nover (5-3-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC) – despite the hype surrounding him after an impressive run on “The Ultimate Fighter 8″ – is now winless in three trips to the octago.

Light heavyweight newcomer Phil Davis brought NCAA champion-level wrestling to the cage with him for his prelim bout with striker Brian Stann, and the benefits were apparent throughout the 15-minute affair.

After a tentative start on the feet in the opening round, Davis implemented his preferred attack and brought Stann to the floor. Davis showed excellent work from the top position as he shifted effortlessly from position to position. A series of powerful left knees to the body harkened memories of Kevin Randleman and were the rookie’s most creative – and powerful – attacks.

Davis threatened the arm of Stann with a keylock in the second frame and an armbar as time expired in the third, but Stann did a fine job of surviving on the floor. Unfortunately, he did little to earn points. As a result, Davis awarded the clear-cut unanimous decision win.

Davis (5-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has now won five-straight bouts to open his MMA career, and his next UFC opponent will certainly need to beware of his grappling attack. Meanwhile, Stann (8-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) sees a two-fight win streak snapped with the result.

Tuchscherer survives late attack; Beltran stuns Gracie

Heavyweights Chris Tuchscherer and Tim Hague each brought ample size and power to the cage in their preliminary card bout, but both were sorely lacking in conditioning. As a result the bout was often short on any real action.

The first round saw an auspicious beginning, as Tuchscherer received an inadvertent knee to the groin eerily reminiscent of his UFC debut. Nevertheless, he shook off the distraction and successfully implemented a ground-and-pound strategy.

The second frame saw each competitor winded early, and the action was sporadic. In the end, Tuchscherer’s superior wrestling earned him another round on the judges; cards.

Hague needed a stoppage in the third frame, and he opened the action appropriately. Rocking Tuchscher with a series of heavy handed punches, Hague appeared well on his way to claiming the come-from-behind win. But Tuchscherer survived the early onslaught and initiated a grappling exchange while regaining his wits. Hague got the better of the exhausted Tuchscherer on the floor, though the Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy fighter was able to escape from bottom position on three separate occasions.

The offense from Tuchscherer in the final frame was nearly non-existant, and the round bordered on a 10-8 score for his opponent. In the end, only one judge felt Hague had earned the two-point advantage, and Tuchscherer walked away with a majority decision as the crowd voraciously booed the effort.

Tuchscherer (18-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) improves to 1-1 in the octagon, though the win did little to impress. Meanwhile, Hague (10-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) – the only fighter to threaten a finish in the fight – cost himself with a slow start and has now dropped two-straight UFC contests.

The advertisements for the evening’s first bout claimed the octagon would be blessed by the presence of a Gracie family member for the first time since 2006. In the end, the appearance proved less than impressive.

Heavyweight prospect Rolles Gracie plundered his way across the cage to engage late replacement Joey Beltran with a series of plodding, ineffective strikes. More of a distraction than an attack, Gracie would use the blows to move into an equally ineffective clinch.

Gracie did earn one trip in the first round and briefly held both the mount and back positions, but Beltran was able to escape each situation and delivered some effective ground and pound to end the opening round.

A fatigue Gracie opened the second frame with another lazy shot, and Beltran pounced and unleashed a flurry of some 30-plus punches to the body and head. Gracie never bothered to lift off of his belly, and the bout was halted 1:31 into the round.

Despite taking the fight on just one-week’s notice, Beltran (11-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earns a win in his octagon debut. Meanwhile, Gracie (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) loses for the first time in his career and may need another win or two outside of the UFC before earning another look in the sport’s biggest promotion.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.